


A Lovely Night

by Luminous_Gremlin



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: CT-7567 | Rex is a Good Bro, Cinderella Elements, F/M, Fluff, Fox is trying his best, Foxiyo - Freeform, In which Riyo is Prince Charming I guess?, Male Cinderella, No Beta We Die Like Clones, Romance, Thorn is the fairy godmother, and background Blyla, background anidala, still gotta be home by midnight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-18
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:33:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27612131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luminous_Gremlin/pseuds/Luminous_Gremlin
Summary: Foxiyo, but make it Cinderella. Fox wants a night off, Fox needs a night off, and Fox gets a night off. He winds up going to the Senate Ball. Meanwhile, Riyo Chuchi mainly sees the ball as an extension of her duties as a Senator. Neither could anticipate what the night had in store for them.
Relationships: CC-1010 | Fox & CT-7567 | Rex, CC-1010 | Fox & Clone Commander Thorn (Star Wars), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Riyo Chuchi & CC-1010 | Fox, Riyo Chuchi/CC-1010 | Fox
Comments: 19
Kudos: 94





	1. In My Own Little Corner

Commander Fox hated his job. It was dreadfully routine: patrols through the city and the Senate complex, dealing with complaints from disgruntled civilians, sharing information and intelligence with local authorities who had no respect for him, and seemingly endless paperwork. He was a soldier, and he had not been bred or trained to argue with people or fill out paperwork. The height of his career was the incident with the Zillo Beast. Still, he figured he had it a little better than his brothers who were on the front lines of the war fighting the Separatists.

Another routine day started with him going to the Senate to deliver his monthly report to the Chancellor. After that he would need to check in with some Coruscant Guard stations through the city, and then return to his office to waste hours on files and reports. 

At the Senate office building, he set on a path straight to the Chancellor’s office, hoping to get in and out so he could get on with the rest of his business. He passed a pair of troopers in armor painted with Coruscant Guard red like his, and he nodded to them in acknowledgment. As his head was turned toward them, his peripheral vision was limited by his helmet, and he felt someone crash into his side. The force of the other person running into him sent him stumbling over, reaching for the wall for support. When he regained his balance, he turned to face the person who ran into him.

“M-my apologies, I did not-" he began, his tone non-threatening, but he was cut off.

“Excuse me!” howled the other person, an Ithorian Senator. “Did they not teach you to watch where you walk in your training?” 

“Eh, uh …” Fox did not know how to respond. 

“They didn’t teach you how to address Senators or to apologize properly either, did they? Perhaps you should be sent back to Kamino for reconditioning!” 

“Senator Stonk!” a woman’s voice rang out in the hall. Soon, a young Pantoran woman appeared at the Ithorian Senator’s side, and she shot a fierce glare at him. 

“Is everything all right?” the Pantoran woman asked Senator Stonk, her expression softening slightly.

“This _clone _-" said Stonk, his tone bursting with scorn “-wasn't watching where he was going, and I almost dropped my datapad!” he continued, waving his datapad in Fox’s face.__

_____ _

____

The Pantoran woman raised an eyebrow. She turned to Fox. “I’m sure it was an accident?”

“It was, ma’am,” said Fox politely. He turned to Stonk. “Again, my apologies.”

“Hmph,” grumbled Stonk, accepting but unsatisfied.

“Senator, if there’s nothing else I believe you owe me revisions on that bill you have stored on your precious datapad?” 

“… Of course, Senator Chuchi. Excuse me.” With that, Stonk pushed his way past Fox and marched down the hall to make his way to his office. 

The Pantoran woman, Senator Chuchi, turned back to Fox. “Are you all right? Senator Stonk can be … a lot, sometimes.” Even through his helmet, he could see just how full of concern her bright eyes were. 

“I am, ma’am,” answered Fox. “Thank you … ma’am.” 

“You’re welcome.” Chuchi smiled softly. 

“Duly noted.” Fox felt awkward. He wouldn’t mind staying to talk with the Senator as long as she wanted, to hold those kind bright eyes in his own gaze, but he knew he also had other duties to tend to that day, and he didn’t know if she was only being nice to him just for the sake of being polite. Was he keeping her from her work?

“Erm … permission to carry on about my business, Senator?” he asked, then he chided himself for it. He had never asked a Senator permission for anything before, so why her?

“Of course. I hope the rest of your day treats you well, trooper.”

“Same to you, Senator.”

Fox resumed his course to the Chancellor’s office. Once there, he walked all the way across the vast space to the Chancellor’s desk where he was seated, and Chancellor Palpatine took the datapad with the report out of his hands and said “Thank you Commander” without even looking away from his computer.  
Fox took that as his cue to see himself out. “Yes, sir,” he said firmly before he left the Chancellor’s office. 

\--

Senator Riyo Chuchi returned to her office. She wanted to smack Stonk upside the head for how he spoke to that trooper – that was the fourth time she caught him harassing some poor soul just trying to do their job - but that would be behavior unbecoming of a Senator. She had to be better than him, keep her more violent impulses to herself, if she had any chance of getting a hearing for her bill.

She thought about the trooper that Stonk accosted and felt ashamed of herself for not asking him for his name. 

Sitting at her desk, Riyo turned on her computer and read through her messages. There was a message from her mother, once again giving her grief for ending an engagement from two years ago and asking her when she was going to get married. Rolling her eyes, she moved on to messages from her constituents back home and responded to each one, inviting them to chat about their concerns with her over a holocall. 

Finally, a calendar notification reminded her of the upcoming Senate Ball. It was a good thing her mother didn’t know about the ball, she thought. Her goal wasn’t to find a husband anyway; it was to support her colleagues and friends, Senators Amidala and Organa, as they raised money to help people in the Outer Rim who had been displaced by the war. Her dress was picked out, her donation had been made, and she had a short list of people that she felt obligated to mingle with at the event. If she met a handsome man there whose company she enjoyed, that would merely be a bonus. 

As she went about her work for the afternoon, her mind drifted at one point, and she wondered what clone troopers looked like under their helmets.

\--

Fox’s chance encounter with Senator Chuchi was, unfortunately, the highlight of his day. From the Senate building he went through the surrounding city to check in with Coruscant Guard stations where his troops were stationed to collect reports. One station had nothing prepared for him and he had to wait an hour for them to cobble something together, and he spent that time thinking about Senator Chuchi and her bright eyes to distract him from his frustration with his men. 

Another station had an infestation of spiders that he needed to assist in dealing with; he spared a few more thoughts for Senator Chuchi and how maybe she actually was concerned for his well-being.

Another station he visited was besieged by a pair of angry civilians who demanded to know when the war would end, because the prices of food and electricity had gone up again. They wouldn’t listen to him when he explained that the Coruscant Guard had no control over the war effort or the price of food; inexplicably, his words just made them angrier and they shouted even louder at him. He fantasized a scenario where he got Senator Chuchi to calmly explain the situation and maybe offer them some temporary aid.

On his way back to the barracks, he asked himself why he was thinking so much about a Senator he spoke to for only a minute. 

Back at the barracks, he went straight to his office. He went in, pulled his helmet off his head, placed it on his desk, and sat down. He leaned his head back, ran a gloved hand down his face, and sighed. Sometimes he wondered if he would feel more fulfilled if he was in a battalion that saw a lot of frontline action, such as the 501st. Having a Jedi would keep things interesting at the very least, if the stories Captain Rex told about his Jedi were any indication … keeping in mind that the poor Captain had two Jedi to deal with. Although getting thrown off an exploding wall with the Force wasn’t his idea of fun, he would do it in a heartbeat if it meant cutting his paperwork load in half. 

A trooper knocked on the door and entered with a stack of datapads in his arms. He placed them on Fox’s desk next to the pre-existing stack and then hastily exited. When the other trooper was gone, Fox groaned. He was going to be up all night at this rate, he thought.

Still, his office was like a refuge from the rest of the galaxy, his own little corner. He could drink his tea, play some relaxing music, and do his work with minimal interruption. Sometimes he would browse the holonet, looking at pictures of far off planets and dreaming of visiting them: the snowy mountains of Alderaan, the vast deserts of Tattooine, the ruins of Jedha, the salted red earth of Crait, the vibrant colorful jungles of Felucia. Other times he would put on a holodrama to play in the background, something mindless like a romantic comedy. He would watch snippets of it on occasion, noting how happy the characters were once they were in love. Part of him wanted to experience a love like that, to have a beautiful woman in his arms and kiss her face and live happily ever after with her. 

But the chances of that happening were nonexistent. He was a clone. His life belonged to the Republic, and he would fight and die for it like he was meant to.

As he worked long into the night, his thoughts strayed to a Senator he met briefly. He took a break to look up Pantora and the planet it orbited, Orto Plutonia. Later after his break, he accidentally typed "Chuchi" into a form instead of "Jedi," which he didn't notice until he gave the document another look-over.

Fox leaned back in his chair and sighed. “I need a day off,” he mumbled.


	2. Impossible

Fox fell asleep at his desk. He had worked late into the night, eventually dozing off as he rested his head on his folded-up arms, and his hand still clutching onto a datapad. He didn’t wake up until later in the morning, stirred from his rest by the sound of his office door opening and Commander Thorn greeting him.

“Morning, Fox- oh, _again?_ ” Thorn sighed. 

“What?” asked Fox groggily as he sat up. He blinked his eyes open and stifled a yawn.

“We talked about this, you have your own private quarters and a bed for a reason. Use them sometimes!”

“I also have more reports to file than there are people on this skug-hole of a planet,” grumbled Fox. He leaned forward and resisted the urge to hold his head up by his hands. Hopefully sitting upright would inspire some wakefulness in him.

“Is any of it urgent? Have you at least delivered the monthly report to the Chancellor yet?”

“I have, and nothing else is … urgent, but I’m just behind on it all.” Fox surveyed the piles of datapads on his desk, thinking it would maybe take four days of uninterrupted work to get through it all.

“And if you don’t take care of yourself you’ll never get it done. Come on, at least go get something to eat and take a shower.”

“Ugh … if you insist _.”_

Fox got up and followed Thorn into the mess hall, where he assembled himself a tray of food and a cup of caf, and hastily ate. When he was done, he went to his quarters to shower, shave off the stubble accumulating on his face, and when he finished there he got dressed and set out to return to his office.

The scene outside of his office, though, was not what he expected. Thorn stood by the office door, accompanied by two other troopers who hung their heads in shame. Neither of them dared look up at Fox as he approached.

“What’s going on?” Fox asked.

“I caught these two with spice under their bunks,” Thorn explained, holding up two small tins.

Letting an annoyed growl escape his mouth, Fox folded his arms across the chest and looked sternly at both the troopers. “You two, look at me,” he said shortly.

The troopers looked up at him, showing their shame in their eyes. Thorn must have thoroughly dressed them down already, he thought.

“I don’t need to tell you that possessing or using spice is against regulation, and for now I’ll spare you the lecture on how using it affects your performance as a soldier and your overall health. Instead you will both give me your names and designations, you will tell Commander Thorn where you got this, and then you will spend the rest of the month cleaning the toilets in the barracks. Understood?”

“Yes, sir,” the troopers said. They gave their names and designations, and then Thorn led them away to get them started on cleaning toilets.

Fox retreated into his office, sitting down at his desk to resume his work. The next thought he had was that the disciplinary reports for those two troopers would be even more paperwork. It was a good thing he didn’t have to go anywhere that day.

* * *

A few hours later, Fox had filled out the disciplinary reports and carried on with the rest of his work. He filled out forms and reports, called Coruscant Guard troopers across the city to remind them of the upcoming station inspections, and he took a break to watch a broadcast of a debate happening in the Senate. It was Senator Mothma having it out with Lott Dod over some topic he couldn't completely follow. His eyes scanned the faces of the other Senators shown on the broadcast, but none of them were the one he secretly hoped to see.

Eventually, Thorn barged back into his office.

“Fox, my brother, you’re taking the night off!” Thorn said excitedly as he held up a small envelope.

“Excuse me?”

“You need to take a break!"

"I just took a break. I watched the Senate debate on the holo for ten minutes."

Thorn shook his head. "That's not what I mean. You need a _proper_ break. Either you’re out late at night patrolling streets, or filling out reports, or sleeping at your desk with all your armor on, or in meetings with the other Commanders – it’s time you did something fun!”

“If your idea of fun is to drag me along to 79’s with the other men, count me out.”

“Oh no, nothing like that. I have something much better in mind.” Thorn said, his tone gleeful. He handed the envelope to Fox.

Fox took the envelope and looked it over. It wasn’t addressed to anyone. He opened it to find a small card inside, decorated with gold-embossed swirls and scrolls and words in an elegant-looking font.

He read the card then looked up at Thorn in disbelief. “ _No,_ I can’t-"

“Why not? I would love to go, but one of us has to be on duty.”

“The _Senate Ball?”_

“Not just Senators will be there, all kinds of wealthy and important people from across Coruscant! There will be good food, good drinks, dancing-“

“I can’t dance.”

“Food and drink and fancy people then.”

Fox couldn’t deny that the idea of attending the ball had some appeal. And a night off did sound nice, but if he had his way he would spend it catching up on his favorite holodrama and sleeping. He asked himself if he really wanted to spend a night alone, surrounded by Senators. One particular Senator came to mind … maybe she would be there?

He also thought of the way Senator Stonk had talked to him.

“You said all sorts of important people would be there … I don’t belong at this ball. I’m just a clone.”

“None of them will have seen a clone’s face before. We wear our helmets in public around the civvies and Senators, remember? No one will recognize you. Just pretend to be a businessman or something.”

“Where did you even get this invitation?” Fox asked.

“I made a deal with Detective Divo,” explained Thorn, “I gave him our contraband spice and information on who was providing it to our men, and he gave me that. Said he had no use for it, but maybe we might know someone who would want to go.” He shrugged.

There was a moment of silence, during which Fox read over the invitation again, taking note of the time and place. The ball was that very evening; he checked the time on his computer monitor, seeing that the ball would begin in around four hours.

“Let’s say I _do_ go … what would I even wear?” he asked.

“Took care of that too. I got you a suit, it’s in your quarters. And before you ask, I won it in a game of sabacc. It’s been sitting unused in my locker for weeks.”

Fox was overcome by a surge of intense gratitude. Of all his brothers, Thorn had to be the dearest to him. He got up and walked around his desk, his mouth curving into a small smile, and he placed a hand on Thorn’s shoulder.

“I’ll also make those two spicehead troopers do some of your paperwork. Just the tedious, mind-numbing stuff that doesn't deal in classified information.” Thorn added.

“I owe you for this … or you’ll end up owing _me._ Either way,” said Fox with a smirk.

“At least try to have a good time?” Thorn responded.

“Sure, I can try.”

* * *

When Fox reached a stopping place with his work, he went to his quarters and found Thorn’s suit laid out for him on the bed. He looked over each piece of it: crisply ironed pants whose color nearly matched the red of his armor, shiny black leather boots, a white button-up shirt, and a black jacket which fastened at the front with six ornate gold buttons. Gold thread embroidery adorned the neckline, cuffs, and hem of the jacket. The buttons caught his attention, and he took a moment to study the swirling patterns engraved into each one.

In addition to the suit, Thorn also dropped off a small bottle of cologne. Fox had never worn cologne before, and he followed the instructions on the bottle that told him where to spray and how much. The fragrance was light and crisp, and it reminded him of how the air tasted after a rainstorm.

He changed into the suit and looked at himself in the mirror. The sight before him was a shock – he hardly recognized himself. He certainly looked the part of an important member of Coruscant society, except for the scar that ran alongside the corner of his mouth. He looked the part, but could he act the part too? Would everyone know he didn’t belong among them? Would he be found out and reported to Captain Tarkin or the Chancellor?

Maybe it was worth the risk. One night to forget about his job, his status in the galaxy, and all his worries. He took a deep breath and exhaled, relaxing his shoulders and neck as he did. The plan was to get a plate of food, a drink, and sit in the courtyard and relax. That was all he would do. No one there would know who he was just by looking at him, he reminded himself. If he didn’t talk to anyone, there was no risk of anyone finding out he was a clone.

Someone knocked on the door. “You ready yet, Fox?” Thorn called.

“Uh, yeah, coming.” He exited his quarters to meet Thorn.

“Come along sir, your chariot awaits!”

Thorn then led Fox to the entrance of the barracks, where a shiny red two-seat speeder sat parked outside. The sun had set already, and the night sky was illuminated by the lights from the city. Fox wanted to know where the speeder came from – it didn’t bear any military designations or insignia – but it was likely that the suit wasn’t the only thing Thorn won in that fateful sabacc game. He got in the passenger seat as Thorn got in the driver’s seat, and Thorn looked him over.

“You clean up real good, Commander,” said Thorn with a smile before he put on his helmet.

“Thanks … and thank you again, for everything.”

“Don’t mention it.” Thorn nodded and started up the speeder. “I’ll drop you off and be back to pick you up at midnight on the _dot_. Remember the station inspections start in the morning, and it wouldn’t look good if one of the Commanders got locked out of the barracks because he stayed out too late.” 

“Heh, duly noted.”

As Thorn piloted the speeder to the Senate complex, Fox watched the city move past him in whirls and streaks of brightly colored lights. He saw other speeders moving in traffic lanes above, below, and on all sides him. Towers soared over the other buildings below, their silhouettes piercing the sky. Off in the distance, he could even make out the silhouette of the Jedi Temple. He leaned back in his seat, watching the world go by, and although the ball hadn’t even started yet he felt more relaxed already. Midnight seemed far away in that moment, but the stretch of time ahead of him already felt both precious and infinite. No matter what happened, it was bound to be a night to remember.


	3. Gavotte

The Senate ballroom was housed in a building separate from both the main chamber and the executive office building, but near enough to allow for easy access to the vast plaza and garden space that sat between the two larger buildings. On the outside, it bore the polished chrome appearance of many other buildings on the surface of Coruscant, not giving a single hint at the opulence and reverie within. Inside, the space had a lower and upper level: the lower level for mingling and dancing, with circular tables placed along the walls where people could eat and drink; while the upper level consisted of a walkway where people could stand along the railing and watch people dance below or walk the lap and appreciate the art and sculptures lining the walls.

Outside the ballroom’s front entrance stood a tall statue of one of the Republic’s first Chancellors. Speeders lined up around the statue on the way to the entrance, where a staircase took attendees up into the ballroom. Senate guards, clothed in their purple armor and cloaks, stood at attention along the staircase and at the doorway where they checked invitations. Bright golden lights from inside the ballroom spilled out, brightening some of the darkness of night.

“Remember, I’ll be back at midnight _sharp_ ,” Thorn said as he pulled the speeder up to the front of the line. “Have a good time, all right?”

Fox nodded and displayed a nervous smile on his face. Clutching the invitation in his hand, he clamored out of the speeder and stood at the base of the staircase, gave a wave and salute to Thorn, and watched as Thorn returned the gesture before taking off. He took a deep breath and exhaled to calm himself, then turned to make his way up the stairs.

When Fox entered the ballroom, he paused for a moment to take in the sight of it. The entire space was bathed in warm golden light given off by ornate chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and from sconces along the walls. The light also seemed to reflect off the floor. He noticed the tall arched windows that extended from floor to ceiling on the lower level, and through them he saw golden lights strung along poles outside that must have lit the path to the courtyard. Flowers and garlands adorned the pillars that held up the upper level of the ballroom. Before him he saw throngs of people in their formalwear, men in their suits and women in grand colorful ballgowns, standing around or sitting at tables, mingling with their food and drink. A few couples took to the dance floor, hand-in-hand or arms around each other as they danced along to a medium-paced song played by a six-member band set up on a stage toward the back of the floor.

Never in his life did he think he would be attending such an event. It was like he stepped into a dream.

Fox moved out of the entryway and stood to the side next to a staircase leading to the upper level. He surveyed the guests, recognizing Senators … and Jedi … and other clones. So much for anonymity.

He saw Obi-Wan Kenobi, dressed in his Jedi robes, who conversed with Duchess Satine of Mandalore as Commander Cody dutifully stood nearby dressed in a white-and-gold suit. Fox also saw Commander Bly, wearing forest green, sharing a plate of finger foods with Aayla Secura, who wore a simple floor-length black dress. Mace Windu stood in a circle with Senators Bail Organa and Mon Mothma.

Finally, he noticed Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex. Rex said something that made Skywalker crack a smile, and then Anakin looked across the space with a wistful look on his face. Following Skywalker’s line of sight to the other side of the ballroom, Fox found Senator Padme Amidala, wearing a beaded pink gown with a full skirt and her curly hair arranged in a half-up style fastened with a hairpin. He saw Amidala talking to Senator Chuchi, and he didn’t look at Chuchi long enough to see what she was wearing. Instead, his gaze darted down to his feet as his heart sank into his stomach.

She _was_ there, just as he suspected. He didn’t have to talk to her, he reminded himself … probably better that he didn’t … and even if he did and he made a fool of himself it wouldn’t matter because she would never see his face again after that night … what she thought about him shouldn’t have mattered, but it did.

And so much for nobody there knowing he was a clone … what was he going to do?

In his peripheral vision, he saw Rex walking his way. Rex wore a simple outfit relative to the other men at the ball: a dress tunic the same color of blue that the 501st used to paint their armor, white dress pants, and a belt on his waist with a golden buckle that matched his hair.

“I didn’t know you were coming to this, Fox!” said Rex warmly as he clapped Fox on the shoulder.

“Erm, neither did I,” said Fox shyly.

“Are you here escorting a Senator?”

“N-not exactly,” admitted Fox.

Rex raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Ah, so you’re finally getting out of that office of yours! Good job, brother! … and don’t worry. Everyone else here will assume you’re escorting a Jedi or a Senator.” He leaned in closer to speak in a softer voice. “And I honestly don’t fault you for sneaking out for a night off.”

Fox felt a little more at ease, and he returned Rex’s words with a small smile. “D’you mind if I just stick with you tonight, until midnight at least?”

Rex pursed his lips. “Sorry, Fox. I, uh, I have to stick close to General Skywalker all night.”

“I understand, don’t worry. Are you escorting him?”

“Less being an escort, more keeping him out of trouble.” Rex replied.

Fox remembered how General Skywalker looked across the room at Senator Amidala. He had heard rumors about the two, and based off Rex’s comment he started to believe that those rumors were true.

His stomach then growled. “Could you show me where to get something to eat first?”

* * *

Meanwhile, Riyo stood at the edge of the dance floor with Padme, and the two women talked over drinks.

“Did Stonk get the bill revisions to you yet?” asked Padme.

“Yes, he did. With any luck we can hold the first vote as early as next week,” responded Riyo, “although knowing him he will once again try to omit the section about –“

“I think that’s enough talk about work for the evening,” interrupted Padme before glancing across the hall.

Riyo followed Padme’s line of sight and at the other end of it she found General Skywalker. Riyo saw a blond man standing with Skywalker, and she noticed that man’s tall broad frame and his sharp jawline and pronounced cheekbones. After studying that man the best she could from across the room, she noticed a man with General Kenobi who looked almost exactly like the blond – except his hair was black and scars framed his left eye. A third man shared the same face and build, only his dark hair was buzzed close to his head and he had yellow tattoos on his cheeks.

“Padme, forgive me if I am being indelicate, but is that man with General Skywalker a clone trooper?”

“He is. Generals Skywalker, Kenobi, and Secura have all brought their commanding officers tonight.”

“Ah ….” That was the first time Riyo had ever seen a clone trooper’s face. During all of her previous encounters with them, they had been wearing full armor, including helmets. It struck her just how _handsome_ they were … she couldn’t decide which of the three she liked best.

But she wasn’t at the ball to chase men, she reminded herself. She was there to support her friends and colleagues … but a dance with one or all three of the troopers wouldn’t hurt.

“I can introduce you if you’d like?” Padme offered.

“Perhaps later, thank you,” said Riyo. She paused, then looked at Padme with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Have your eye on any man in particular, Padme?”

“Perhaps,” said Padme with a smirk. “But that is neither here nor there.”

“All right then, keep your secrets!” Riyo said with a laugh.

Both women paused to sip from their drinks.

“I hear you and Senator Organa surpassed your fundraising goals for the relief fund. Congratulations!”

“Thank you - and thank _you_ again for your contributions. I hope these funds will help the worlds and people in the Outer Rim most affected by the war … and perhaps some care packages for our troops as well.”

“Any bit of help will be much appreciated, I’m sure,” said Riyo. She took another drink, gulping down the remaining liquid in her glass. “I think I’m going to get a refill. Would you like to come with me?”

“No thank you,” said Padme as she glanced over to General Skywalker again.

“Then perhaps I will catch up with you later,” suggested Riyo. She smiled and gave Padme’s arm a light squeeze before making her way to where the refreshments were stationed.

* * *

A long table along the back wall of the ballroom bore platters upon platters of finger foods. Fox saw all kinds of food he had never seen before, from rolls to sweets to fruit dipped in chocolate or glazed with sugar. He helped himself to one of everything as Rex returned to his General’s side, and he slinked behind a pillar to scarf down all the food. The way he ate certainly wasn’t dignified, at least not compared to a Senator’s table manners. Still, the food was the best thing he had tasted in his entire life. Never had he indulged in anything bursting with so many sweet or savory flavors. Did rich powerful important people eat like this every day, he wondered. He couldn’t imagine going back to field rations or the standard issue grub from the barracks mess hall.

He wiped his mouth and hands with a napkin, and then he noticed how dry his throat was. At the end of the table, he noticed a green-skinned Twi’lek server standing at a station serving drinks. He made his way over, weaving his way through other guests clamoring around the platters of food, thankful that no one else was going for a drink at that moment.

“Good evening, sir, what is your pleasure?” the server asked, gesturing to the diverse collection of bottles on the shelf behind her. Fox was stunned momentarily as he saw the bottles: tall, short, wide, narrow, filled with clear liquid or brightly colored liquid or even a glowing blue liquid. There were also dark-tinted bottles submerged in buckets of ice. The only drinks he had were basic liquors and beers, and none of those drinks looked like that.

“Well, what’s good?” he asked, trying to save face.

“All of it is,” the server responded.

Fox nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. “Can I have a minute?”

“Of course.”

He looked over each bottle and drink, telling himself to just pick _something._ Be confident, act like you belong and know what you want, he told himself. Yet the volume of choice before him left him without a starting place, only a fear that he might pick something he didn’t like or something that would signal to the other attendees that he was not really one of them. He should have paid more attention to what other people were drinking so he could order the same thing.

The urge to just leave and sit by the statue out front until midnight was overwhelming.

He became so lost in his own mind that he didn’t notice a woman approach him – that is, until the woman spoke to him.

“Excuse me, sir?” He snapped out of his thoughts and looked to the source of the voice, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw her.

Senator Chuchi looked Fox up and down with curiosity, and he noticed she held an empty glass in hand _._ She wore a sleeveless ballgown that was a deep shade of purple, with a golden sash draped around her shoulder and tied around her waist. She wore gold bracelets on her arms and wrists, glorious against her blue skin, gold teardrop-shaped earrings, and a golden headband nestled atop her purple hair.

Fox knew about the fabled Angels of the Moons of Iego and he fantasized about what they looked like. Senator Chuchi outshone all his fantasies.


	4. Waltz

“Sir, have you been helped yet?” Senator Chuchi asked him.

“N-no, not yet. I’m still trying to decide on a drink.” Fox answered. He then chided himself – that was _not_ very confident of him. “What did you have?” he asked, gesturing to her empty glass.

“A Pantoran sparkling wine,” said the Senator.

Fox nodded. “I think I’ll try that.”

The server refilled Chuchi’s glass and poured a fresh glass for Fox. He took it and watched as the top of the liquid fizzed in his glass, giving way to a soft pink liquid with small bubbles rising from the bottom.

“May I propose a toast?” said Chuchi as she held her glass up. Fox followed suit, holding his glass up by hers. “To a lovely night here, to victory and peace, and to you and all your brothers as they fight for our Republic.”

“My brothers?” Fox asked.

He realized … she knew.

“You can tell I’m a clone, can’t you?”

Chuchi smiled. “I had never seen what your faces look like until tonight, and there are three other men here who look exactly like you, and they’re all with Jedi. Well, not _exactly_ alike – one is blond, one has tattoos, and one has a scar around his eye ….”

“Well, it’s not often my face is the unique one in any setting,” said Fox, trying to be witty.

Senator Chuchi giggled in response. The sound of it was like music to him. Fox noticed the way her nose and eyes scrunched up, and he decided he would try to make her laugh as much as he could.

“Are you here with a Jedi?” Chuchi asked.

“No, ma’am.”

“A Senator then?”

“No, ma’am.” Fox’s heart raced. Was she going to report him for being away from his post?

“Just sneaking out for a night of unattended fun, then?” Chuchi smirked at him.

When Fox didn’t respond immediately, she said “If it makes you feel better, you can pretend to be my escort for the evening. I’m unattended as well.”

“S-sure, yes ma’am.” Fox sputtered.

“Riyo. My name is Riyo. What’s yours?”

“Fox. Commander Fox.”

“It’s a pleasure and an honor to meet you, Fox.” Riyo said with a smile. Her smile took his breath away.

“It’s an honor to meet you too … Riyo.”

Riyo brought her glass to her lips and took a drink. Fox drank as well, noting how sweet and bubbly the wine tasted.

“Walk with me?” Riyo asked him.

Fox nodded and offered the arm of his free hand to her. Riyo softly grasped onto his forearm, and together they walked away from the drink station to a spot by a window. Nearby a group of people surrounded Senator Orn Free Taa, talking and laughing boisterously. He paid them no mind, because for some reason Riyo wanted to spend time with him, and he was happy to oblige her. His plans for staying out of the way and quietly enjoying himself were no more.

“So … uh … what’s it like being a Senator?” he asked, trying to make small talk.

“It has its ups and downs,” said Riyo, “although it’s been more downs than ups recently. I’ve been working on trying to get this bill onto the floor of the chamber for _months_ ….” She went on for a couple of minutes about the bill in question. Fox caught a few details, but he was too mesmerized by her face and voice and the way her eyes lit up as she spoke to grasp the specifics.

“… and I’m hopeful it will be voted on next week,” she finished, pausing to take a drink. “Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to go on like that, I hope I didn’t bore you!”

“Oh no! I wasn’t bored. It was very fascinating,” said Fox, taking a drink to mirror her. She exuded passion about the bill’s topic – something about streamlining the process for planets to join the Republic. He didn’t catch every single detail, but he could listen to her talk about it for hours on end.

“That’s a relief to hear. One of my friends in the Senate had to stop me from talking about work earlier this evening, but I’ve been so busy with it there’s not much else in my life right now ….” Riyo continued. “She’s right, of course. I do talk about it more than I should … maybe I do work too much?”

“I wouldn’t know, but I admire how dedicated you are to your duties as a Senator,” said Fox.

“That’s kind of you to say,” said Riyo with a small smile.

Fox didn’t know if it was the drink or the friendly unpretentious way Riyo talked to him, or the way she smiled at him, but he was feeling much more at ease in her presence.

It was quiet for a few moments, as the two of them stood together in silence, sipping at their drinks, watching the rest of the ballroom before them. Some more couples went to the dance floor, among them General Kenobi and Duchess Satine. Out of the corner of his eye, Fox caught Riyo glancing over to him a couple of times. He wondered what she was thinking. Was she waiting for him to say something?

“One of my brothers gave me a lecture this morning, about the whole working-too-much thing,” he began, trying to relate to the last thing she told him.

“Oh?”

“He told me I should stop sometimes to eat and sleep and take a night off.”

“Well good work on the night off,” said Riyo as she clinked her glass against Fox’s.

“Heh, thank you,” said Fox.

“What made you decide to come here?” Riyo inquired.

“My, uh, my brother got his hands on an invitation and told me to take it.”

“And he passed up the opportunity to come himself? Sounds like a true friend.”

“Yeah, he is,” said Fox, fondly thinking about Thorn for a moment.

“And although I don’t know how you’re doing on eating, you do look like you’ve gotten your beauty rest,” said Riyo, her tone playful and coquettish.

“I- I do? Hmm, I fell asleep at my desk, so I- _wait ….”_ Fox was confused by her statement, and by the playful gleam in her eye. “Are you- are you flirting with me?”

“Perhaps,” said Riyo.

“ _Oh.”_ Fox’s face felt like it was on fire. He hoped he wasn’t blushing too obviously. His mind was having a hard time processing that the gorgeous elegant woman before him – a Senator no less – was _flirting_ with him. It was hard to believe, yet at the same time it felt good. He couldn’t help but smile slightly.

If Riyo was flirting with him … maybe the thing to do was to flirt back.

“I only slept for a few hours at my desk last night. Maybe for beauty sleep I should do whatever it is you do.” Those were the words that came out of his mouth, and he immediately wished he could have come up with something better.

Riyo smirked, the corner of her mouth coming up to form a crooked little smile. “You fell asleep at your desk?”

“Yeah … I constantly have loads of paperwork to do.”

“Oh I’m so sorry,” said Riyo, “Paperwork is the _worst_. Dare I say it’s my least favorite part of being a Senator.”

“Not once in my training was I told that I would be spending hours a day cooped up in an office filling out forms and reports. It’s part of being a Commander, though, for better or worse.”

“And it never ends, does it?”

“Never!”

They both laughed, and then their gazes lingered on one another. Fox took the moment to begin memorizing the details of her face, from her eyes to her mouth to the markings on her cheeks. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to run his fingers along those markings …. And what astounded him was that she looked up at him with a similar expression, as if she was doing the same thing he was. He noticed that her eyes lingered on his mouth for an extra second or two; he didn’t know if she wanted to kiss him or if she was just studying his scar.

The band suddenly began playing a waltz, slow-paced yet elegant. People made their way to the center of the ballroom, partnering up, and spinning in place in time to the music.

“Dance with me?” Riyo asked.

Fox’s hand clenched around his glass. “I don’t know how.”

“You’ll get the hang of it in no time, trust me.” Riyo set her glass down on the table next to them and extended her hand to Fox. He wasted no time in setting his own glass down and taking her hand in his.

Riyo led him to the dance floor. She turned to face him and guided him to place a hand on her waist as she rested hers on his shoulder. He watched and listened intently as she demonstrated how to move his feet and how to turn both his and her own body around in a circle as their feet moved. For the first few steps, he kept his eyes on their feet, doing the best he could to mimic her movements without stepping on her toes.

“There, you’ve got it!” she said encouragingly. With that, Fox looked back up to her face. She was smiling again, brighter than all the lights in the ballroom. Forget about dancing; as long as she smiled at him like that, he felt like he could fly.

He let her lead their dance, stepping and whirling in time to the music. Not once did he dare pry his eyes away from her face. Riyo was the first one to break their eye contact, and she only did it to exchange smiles with a passing Senator Amidala, who seemed to float across the dance floor in the arms of General Skywalker. At one point another dancing couple veered a little too close, so he instinctively pulled Riyo closer to him, but even after the other couple was a respectable distance away he kept her close. She didn’t seem to mind.

The song ended, and Fox and Riyo slowed to a halt. Their eyes met, and they exchanged smiles.

“Are you having fun?” Fox asked shyly.

“I am, you?”

“More fun than I’ve had in a long time.”

The band played a few more waltzes. Fox let Riyo continue to lead the dance so he could focus on the dance steps and on enjoying her company. Once the waltzing concluded struck up a light, lively tune. Still keeping their hands and arms in place, Riyo led Fox in a faster-paced dance that involved a bit of hopping around but with simpler footwork. He didn’t know what he was doing, and he worried that he looked like a bumbling fool and he was embarrassing the good Senator, but if he was Riyo didn’t say anything – to spare his feelings maybe? How would she explain to her colleagues her spending the evening in the company of a clone who couldn’t dance? Yet as the dance continued, he forgot his worries, and he let himself enjoy the moment.

After that song ended, there was a lull between it and the next song. In that time, a man dressed in velvety plum robes approached him and Riyo. “May I cut in?” he asked, looking at Fox but placing a hand on Riyo’s shoulder.

“No you may not,” Riyo answered. She then turned to Fox. “Unless you want to dance with someone else?”

Fox shook his head. “No, I don’t want to dance with anyone else.”

Riyo grinned. “Neither do I.”


	5. Ten Minutes Ago

Riyo was thankful for meeting Fox, and not just because having a dance partner saved her from having to dance with the man who tried to cut in. Running into him saved her from an evening of listless small talk and uneventful dances with people she saw enough of already during working hours. It wasn't like she could stick to Padme's side all night; she _knew_ Padme and that one Jedi had something going on, and they'd eventually sneak off for some alone time. 

Like the other three clones in attendance, Fox was easy on the eyes. Unlike most of her colleagues in the Senate, it wasn't a chore to talk to him - in fact, it was quite pleasant. He said what he meant and meant what he said, and when he responded to her flirting with his own she felt a warm flush bloom across her cheeks. He could commiserate with her about how terrible paperwork was, and once he loosened up and began to enjoy himself during the dances he was quite endearing. Even if he didn’t get all the moves quite right. At one point during the first waltz he pulled her closer to him when another couple zoomed by them. She didn’t mind, and a small part of her appreciated how he kept her that close for the rest of the dance. On top of all that, his smile was so _sweet_. It was strange, how she could feel so comfortable and unguarded with a man she only met that night, in a room full of people she had known for much longer than that.

After several dances, Fox led them to stop completely. “Are we allowed to go out in the courtyard?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“Do you want to go out there with me?”

“I would love to.”

Her arm in his, Riyo went with Fox out of a side exit down a walkway illuminated with strings of golden lanterns above their heads. The strings of lanterns, supported by poles, ran the length of the courtyard. Some more lanterns floated in the waters of the fountains, lights shone up from the bases of each statue, and more small golden lights were woven into bushes and trees. The whole setting felt dream-like and romantic, as if thousands of tiny stars came down to the earth to light the way and form shimmering, twinkling constellations among the fountains and gardens.

The two of them walked the length of the courtyard and back toward the ballroom, either engaging in light conversation or enjoying a comfortable silence as they went. She told him about her family back home: “I’m the youngest of five daughters, and my parents always expected great things of us. One sister became a dancer, one is an architect, one is a scientist, and one runs a school. My heart has always been in helping my people, and I guess I thought the Senate was the best way to do that … but I’m not so sure anymore.”

And he talked about growing up on Kamino and training for war. “I don’t have parents, unless you count Jango Fett, and I have more brothers than I could begin to count. We didn’t really get to be kids, the minute we could walk and hold things they put a blaster in our hands and started training us for battle. My whole childhood I imagined that I’d be going out in a blaze of glory on a battlefield somewhere, but at this rate I’ll be suffocated by a mountain of datapads in my office.”

Riyo laughed at his quip; she noticed how Fox’s face lit up in response.

Somewhere in the distance, chimes went off to mark the time: half an hour until midnight.

“Have you ever been to this courtyard?” Riyo asked.

“Truthfully, no,” said Fox. “But I’ve heard it’s quite the sight.”

“You can get a better view of the statues and the gardens during the daytime. I like to come out here sometimes during my lunch hour, especially when the weather is nice. My favorite spot is there-“ she pointed to a nearby fountain.

Without a second’s hesitation, Fox guided her over to that fountain, taking her hand in his as he excitedly pulled her along. The two stopped at the edge of the fountain; at first Riyo wanted to know why Fox was so keen on the fountain, but she watched him as he looked upon the lanterns floating in the water and the streams pouring from the statue in the middle. Being so busy with the war, he probably didn’t get very many moments to appreciate the little things she took for granted. How many little things in her life did she not even notice that he would probably enjoy? 

“During the day, this spot provides a beautiful view of the city skyline,” said Riyo, “that’s why I like it so much.”

“Maybe you could show me someti-“ Fox stopped himself abruptly. He withdrew his hand from Riyo’s and hung his head. He was quiet for a moment. She wanted to say that yes, she would show him the courtyard and the skyline during the daytime … and her favorite places in the city, and Pantora, and the entire galaxy if he wanted.

“Riyo … there are so many Senators, and other important people here, with money and power and other things to offer you ….” Fox’s voice trembled as he spoke. After a pause, he looked up at her, his eyes expressing a mix of disbelief and insecurity. “Why me? I’m a clone. I’m a soldier. I live to fight and die for the Republic, and I have nothing else to give.”

Riyo smiled sadly. She sat down on the edge of the fountain and gestured to Fox to join her there. He obliged and sat close to her, close enough for their knees to brush against each other.

“I love how you think about what you can give to others, rather than what you can take,” said Riyo gently. “Sets you apart and far above all those Senators and important people, who are mostly interested in what they can take. Most of the people at this ball –" words and phrases came and went through her mind, and they weren’t the type that were polite to say out loud “-you aren’t like them, Fox. You’re genuine. One does not come by that often in my line of work, so when I see it I appreciate it.”

Fox relaxed his shoulders and his brow. “I wish more of them were like you,” he said, “kind and clever and respectful.”

His words filled her heart with both joy and sorrow. In the gentle golden lights illuminating the courtyard, he looked so radiantly beautiful. Riyo wanted more than anything to steal him away from the Grand Army of the Republic and let him live in peace and comfort. Yet in the back of her mind she knew that after the ball she might not see him again, so she intended to savor her time with him.

“Can I tell you something I’ve never told anyone before? It’s a secret.” Why she wanted to share her secret, she couldn’t quite articulate, although it would feel good to finally tell someone. Fox seemed like a safe person to tell.

“Of- sure, sure, yes.” Fox responded.

Riyo leaned in closer to him, getting another whiff of his cologne. He leaned in as well. In a whisper, she said “I was engaged, a few years ago. To a Pantoran nobleman. But I ended it, because I wanted to focus on my career in the Senate. I was scared I would regret it, but looking back I think I did the right thing. I don't think I ever really loved him.”

“Ah,” said Fox, looking confused. “Maybe it's because I don't know much about this, but I don't understand. Why marry someone you don't love?"

“Wealth, power, social status, all of that. People expected it of me at the time. My mother still isn’t over it, though.”

The two sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the lights twinkle in the courtyard and the golden light shining through the windows of the ballroom. A few more couples entered the courtyard to go for a stroll or have a few private stolen moments hidden among the bushes and trees. Riyo was aware of how her knee and Fox’s knee were pressed together, and she liked it. The closeness was intoxicating, and it filled her stomach and chest with that pleasant fluttery feeling described in every love song she ever heard. She also liked it when Fox took her hand again and held it like it was the most precious thing in the galaxy. His hand was larger than hers, softer than she expected a soldier’s hand to be, and so _warm._

“Ah, you told me your big important secret,” said Fox suddenly, “and I wish I had one to share in return.”

Riyo chuckled. “You could tell me how you got your scar if you want. I promise to keep it a secret.”

“Ah, this?” Fox said as he pointed to the scar on the corner of his mouth. “I got it during the incident with the Zillo Beast. It threw me around a bit, my helmet got smashed up and some pieces wound up in my face. I looked a _lot_ worse right after.”

“Worse? The scar isn’t bad at all,” said Riyo as she looked over his face again. She felt overcome with the sudden urge to touch his cheek, run a hand through the short dark curls of his hair, and as for his lips-

“You and your brothers are already quite good-looking, and your scar makes you even more handsome in my opinion.”

“I- uh- I-“ Fox sputtered in response. He looked away briefly, smiling slightly, and Riyo swore she could see his cheeks redden a bit.

“No one’s ever told me I’m handsome before,” he confessed. “Especially not someone as beautiful as you.”

Riyo had heard countless men compliment her looks throughout her life, and the words felt near meaningless after all that time, but it was different hearing it from Fox. That pleasant fluttery feeling returned, and she felt like the luckiest woman in the entire universe.

She reached up with her free hand to cup his cheek, and she turned his face so that she could look at him. His eyes fluttered shut in response to her touch, and she let her thumb glide over his scar with feather-light pressure. From there her fingers traced his jawline, down his neck, until her hand rested on his chest. She felt the cool metallic surface of his jacket’s buttons under her palm.

When Fox opened his eyes again, he looked at her with a gaze full of awe and admiration. She noticed him glance down at her mouth; perhaps he was thinking the same thing she was?

To test her hunch, she leaned in closer to him. He leaned in as well. Their foreheads rested against each other, and she could feel his breath on her cheek.

“Tonight, I was just going to sit alone and not talk to anyone,” said Fox, his voice a low rumble. “I’m happy I didn’t. I’m glad I met you, Riyo.”

“I’m happy I met you too, Fox,” she said, smiling again. Her fingers dragged across his chest, curling themselves around one of the buttons on his jacket.

She moved to close the distance between their mouths, just as the chimes rang out again to announce that it was midnight.

Fox suddenly jolted upright and looked around frantically. Riyo watched, perplexed, not moving her hand off his chest.

He looked back to her, his expression conveying both panic and regret. “I’m sorry, I have to go.”

Before Riyo could respond, Fox jumped to his feet and sprinted away, heading back for the ballroom. She remained in place and watched him as he disappeared into the building and the crowd. Too stunned to get up at first, she wondered if he had duties to tend to and that was why he left so abruptly.

It then hit her. She never asked him what battalion he belonged to. Or for his designation.

Riyo looked down at the ground, and something small attracted her attention as it gave off a small gleam in the lantern light. A couple of feet ahead of her lay one of the buttons from Fox’s jacket. She bent down and picked it up, holding it gently in her palm as she smoothed her thumb over its surface.

* * *

Fox did not stop running until he saw Thorn in his speeder outside the entrance to the ballroom. He jumped in and as soon as he was in his seat Thorn sped off for the barracks.

“You know I expected you’d be waiting outside for me!” Thorn chided playfully. “Instead I had to wait a couple of minutes!”

“Sorry! I got a bit distracted,” said Fox. He knew he was in charge of conducting inspections over the next few days, and he needed to refocus his mind on that, but all he could think about was how _close_ his lips were to Riyo’s, and how he regretted not kissing her before leaving. He couldn’t tell Thorn that, he would get teased about it forever.

“Oh yeah? How was it? Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, I had fun,” said Fox. “It was nice. Food and drink were good.”

“Meet any pretty girls?”

Fox didn’t answer.

“Come on, Commander, don’t be shy!”

“It’s none of your business, Thorn! Not like I’ll ever see her again anyway.”

The rest of the ride back to the barracks, getting out of the speeder, going to his quarters, and getting ready for bed all went by quickly in an absentminded trance. The entire time his thoughts were of Riyo. When he crawled into bed and his head hit the pillow, he wondered if Riyo was still at the ball or if she was also getting ready to go to sleep. He remembered how they danced, and how he wished they could have danced all night. How he wished he could see her smile, or hear her laugh, or hold her hand–

But what he said to Thorn was true. He didn’t expect to see her again. If his duties took him to the Senate, it wasn’t like he could just pop into her office to chat. He was busy, she was busy getting her bill passed, it was most likely against regulation. Maybe he could contact her at some point, try to visit her at her office when he was off-duty, but what if she said no? What if she only wanted one night with him, and not an actual relationship? It would crush him. It would be better to stay away so he didn’t risk having his heart broken.

The memories of her smile and her laugh, how she felt in his arms as they danced, how her eyes held the light in them, the gentle way she touched his face … they would have to sustain him. And he would cherish those memories for the rest of his life.


	6. The Search, Part 1

Fox chugged down three cups of caf before he and Thorn left to do their first round of inspections. The two would be visiting every Coruscant Guard station in the city over the following days, making sure everything was orderly and organized, and addressing any issues that arose. Such work entailed yet another mound of paperwork for him, but complaining and negative thoughts wouldn’t improve his situation. Instead, he tried to think about how Riyo laughed when they took turns complaining about their common drudgery. He wondered what she was doing, if she was getting ready to meet with some Senators about her bill, or working away at something else. He wondered if she was upset that he left her like he did. Thinking about Riyo did little to improve his mood, though. 

The first station they visited was near perfect. The floors seemed to sparkle, not a speck of dust in sight, blasters and other equipment properly cleaned and stored, and the office was organized immaculately.

“I hope all the stations are like that one,” said Thorn as he and Fox left to go to the next station. “It’ll make our lives much easier, and we could be done early!”

“Yeah, wouldn’t that be nice,” said Fox groggily.

“Hey, you okay, brother?” asked Thorn.

“Eh.” Fox shrugged noncommittally.

“Still thinking about the girl you met last night?”

Fox looked at him and nodded.

“Did you blow it with her?”

“No … well, I don’t think I did. We met when I was getting a drink, talked and danced a bit, but then I had to leave. Eh, she probably hates me for leaving her like that.”

“You could try reaching out to her. Do you know how to get a hold of her?”

“I do,” said Fox, “but I don’t think it’s allowed for us clones to have relationships like that.” And with Senators no less, he thought.

“People have forbidden romances all the time!” Thorn countered. “Like Senator Amidala and that one Jedi, their relationship is the worst-kept secret in the Republic.”

A couple of silent minutes passed, during which Fox contemplated what Thorn said. The prospect of seeing Riyo again was enticing, and so was having some kind of relationship with her. Thinking about it made him feel a flutter in his chest and stomach, yet doubts still lingered in his mind.

“Ah I don’t know, Thorn. What if I ask her and she says no? What if she doesn’t want to be with a clone?”

“You never know if you don’t try,” said Thorn encouragingly. “And if she didn’t want to be with you she wouldn’t have danced with you.”

The corner of Fox’s mouth quirked up in a half-smile. “Where’d you learn so much about this stuff anyway? They didn’t teach it to us on Kamino.”

“If you’d come out to 79’s with me, you’d learn too! … That, and I watch holodramas late at night before bed.”

“I watch holodramas too, but I’ve never heard anything like that.”

“Well the ones you watch are terrible then.”

* * *

When Riyo went to Padme’s office with the newest version of her bill, she also asked about the three clone troopers who attended the ball with their Jedi. She got their names: Commander Bly of the 327th, Commander Cody of the 212th, and Captain Rex of the 501st. All three were commanding officers, all of their battalions were on leave on Coruscant, and Fox mentioned being a Commander himself – maybe one of them would know which battalion he belonged to?

She kept the button from Fox’s jacket in a little pouch in her pocket during the day as she worked, and she wondered where he was at that moment. Was he taking time to relax? Was he tackling the endless onslaught of paperwork she knew awaited him? Was he thinking about her as much as she thought about him?

At the end of the day she went out to the barracks where the 327th were quartered during their leave on Coruscant, near the Grand Army’s military base. Inside she found two dozen troopers, none of which looked familiar to her. Their hair was either too short or too long, they were bald, or the scarring on their faces didn’t match Fox’s. Each trooper she passed gave her a cordial nod or stood at attention as she passed them, and not one man acted like he recognized her.

Eventually she ran into Commander Bly, handily picking him out by the distinct yellow tattoos on his cheeks. He was standing outside the mess, poring over a datapad.

“Commander Bly?”

Bly looked up at her. “Yes, ma’am, how may I help you?” 

“I was hoping you could tell me where to find one of your brothers? His name is Fox, He was at the ball last night and-”

Bly cut her off. “I’m sorry, ma’am, I cannot help you.”

Riyo balked. “Do you know who can, then?”

“No ma’am.” Bly answered, stone-faced.

Riyo studied his expression, and she surmised that he did in fact know, but didn’t want to share. She had a guess as to why that was.

“Of course. I understand, and I admire how you look out for your brothers.”

Bly responded with a small smile. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help, ma’am. Have a good evening.”

“You as well, Commander.” Riyo turned to go, and on her way out she prayed that one of the other clones would be more willing to talk.

* * *

Fox was in the middle of another late-night paperwork grind when his commlink beeped. Commander Bly was on the other end.

 _“Care to explain to me why a woman came around asking about you?”_ Bly inquired testily.

“What?” Fox was taken aback, and his hopes slowly rose. “Who?”

_“I don’t know, some small Pantoran woman. Wore nice clothes. Said something about you being at the Senate Ball … Fox, did you go last night?”_

Fox nodded cautiously. “I did,” he said. On the outside he tried to appear calm and measured, but on the inside he wanted to jump for joy.

“Did you tell her anything?” he asked.

“ _Of course not! I didn’t know what her intentions were. Brother, you know what could have happened to you if you were found out and reported, right?”_

He knew all right: he would be sent back to Kamino, reconditioned, and reassigned to another battalion. Far away from Coruscant, and far away from her.

“She wouldn’t want to report me, though.”

 _“Better safe than sorry,”_ said Bly. _“Just … be careful if you’re going to mess around with these high-society types, that’s all I have to say.”_

“Well it’s not like I have a Jedi I can pine for … but duly noted. Thanks, brother.”

Bly groaned at Fox’s comment before ending the call.

Fox leaned back in his chair, arms relaxed and hands resting in his lap, and he grinned. He felt light, as if all his burdens had melted off his shoulders. Riyo didn’t hate him for leaving her after all. In fact, she was looking for him! He could hardly believe it. If it weren’t for the inspections and his other duties he would run right over to the Senate to see her. It would have to wait, though. Hopefully after the week was over she wouldn’t forget about him.

* * *

Over the next couple of days, Riyo’s schedule kept her from resuming her search for Fox. She was stuck in meeting after meeting, holocalls with her Pantoran constituents late into the night, and sending the most recent draft of her bill back to committee for another round of revisions. Her workload kept her at the Senate long into the wee hours of the morning, until she was too tired to do anything except go home and fall asleep the instant her head hit her pillow. At one point she even wound up pulling an all-nighter.

The sun rose, and Riyo struggled to stay awake at her desk and concentrate. Knowing that she would be useless without some rest – and after confirming her schedule was clear – she sent messages to her colleagues to inform them that she would be taking the day off. She then made her way out of the building, and along the way she passed by a pair of Coruscant Guard troopers. Both of them wore helmets, and the only greeting they gave her was “Good morning, ma’am,” but a small part of her couldn’t help but hope that Fox would be one of them. 

After sleeping most of her day away at home, in the late afternoon she went to the barracks where the troopers of the 212th were quartered. She remembered that Commander Cody had a distinct pattern of scarring around his left eye, but she didn’t see him anywhere among the troopers. None of them looked like Fox, and none of them seemed to recognize her either.

She ventured into the mess hall, where she saw two men sitting at a table with a set of paints, touching up the art on their helmets. One of them was painting the face of a little Twi’lek girl on the side of his helmet.

The troopers looked up when they heard Riyo approaching, and they quickly clamored to their feet to stand at attention.

“At ease, please,” she said cordially. “Can either of you tell me where I can find Commander Cody?”

One trooper, who wore a full long mustache on his face, answered “He and General Kenobi are on our cruiser, currently orbiting the planet. It’s for a meeting – a classified one – and they likely won’t be back for at least one rotation.”

Riyo nodded in understanding. “I see, thank you. Then maybe one of you can help me? I’m looking for a trooper named Fox. Do you know him?”

The two troopers exchanged looks. “I’m sorry, ma’am, I have never heard of a Fox.”

“And we’re not just saying that to cover his back,” said the other trooper, a bald man with an unshaven patch of facial hair under his lip, “We have honestly never heard of him.”

Hearing that dampened Riyo’s spirits some. Hope wasn’t necessarily lost yet, but she would still prefer to track Fox down sooner rather than later.

“Thank you, gentlemen,” she replied before leaving.

Her next move was to visit the 501st … but her fear that the troopers there would either not know or keep their mouths shut began to grow. She didn’t know how to convince the men that she meant no ill will toward their brother, and if anyone else didn’t know about Fox she didn’t know what to do next. Maybe ask the Coruscant Guard?

Knowing that the barracks was nearby, Riyo decided to pay the 501st a visit while she was out. When she arrived outside the building, she expected to see some troopers milling about outdoors like there had been with the 327th and the 212th, but there were none to be seen. She thought nothing of it and went up to the door, which automatically opened for her, and she went inside.

It was quiet, no troopers in sight.

“Ma’am, are you lost?”

Riyo jumped when she heard a man’s voice, and she turned to see a trooper dressed in armor painted with the 501st’s trademark shade of blue. His hair was cut very short, buzzed to his scalp, and he had an intricate V-shape tattoo across his face.

“I certainly hope not, I was told I could find the 501st Legion here?” said Riyo.

“Yes, ma’am, this is our barracks … but it’s unusual for civilians to come around,” said the trooper. “Do you need help with something?”

“I was hoping to speak with your Captain, actually.”

The trooper pursed his lips. “Captain Rex and the rest of the men are unavailable until tomorrow, I’m afraid. They’re out for a night on the town.”

Riyo responded with a small nod. A minor inconvenience; she could try again later. “And you didn’t go with them?”

“Eh, I prefer to relax with a quiet night in.”

“Understandable. I’ll leave you to enjoy your quiet relaxing night, then. Thank you, sir.” Riyo still felt a little dismayed that she had gotten nowhere, but it was one of those things she really couldn’t do anything about in the moment.

When she got home, she took the button out of its pouch and gazed upon it. The more rational voice in her mind asked her why she was spending so much time and energy on a man she had only known for a few hours. Admittedly, there was nothing rational about her desire to find Fox … but not everything in life needed to be based in reason. Riyo thought about how beautiful he looked in the golden lights of the Senate courtyard, his sweet smile, his humorous quips, the way he looked at her as if she was one of the natural wonders of the universe … she couldn’t help but smile.

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, Fox and Thorn finished up another station inspection. The one they visited was unremarkable, not disastrous yet at the same time nowhere near immaculate. Fox checked the itinerary; there was one more station to visit before they could call it a day.

“I think I can handle this last one on my own, Fox,” said Thorn as he swiped the datapad containing the itinerary out of Fox’s hand.

“Sorry?”

“You know, if you wanted to go tend to your other business,” Thorn added, his tone suggestive.

“I-I don’t have any business –" Fox stopped when he realized what Thorn meant. “Are you sure you can handle it on your own?”

“Yeah, after the first twelve stations I know what to look for,” said Thorn, nudging Fox’s arm. “Go get her.”

Although Thorn couldn’t see him, Fox beamed under his helmet. “Thanks, brother.”

“Take the speeder, I’ll get a ride back to the barracks when I’m done.”

After patting Thorn on the shoulder in gratitude, Fox ran to the speeder and took off in a rush. His trip to the Senate passed in a blur, because although he obeyed traffic laws his mind was elsewhere. He was about to see Riyo again … the prospect filled him with a type of excited trepidation. What if she was busy and he interrupted her work? What would he even say to her? Maybe he should just start by kissing her like he wanted to the other night at the ball – no, maybe not. Or maybe so?

Perhaps he should have gone out to 79’s with Thorn and the others more often so he could have learned how to interact with women.

He arrived at the Senate office building, parking his speeder on a landing pad, and rushed inside. Once inside, it hit him: he had no idea where Riyo’s office was. He glanced around, looking for some kind of directory or administrative assistant. His eyes eventually found a pair of troopers on patrol, and he made his way over to them.

The troopers snapped to attention when they saw him. “Commander!”

“Do you know where Senator Riyo Chuchi’s office is?” he asked.

“East wing, third level. There’s a plaque outside the door with her name on it,” one trooper responded.

“Thank you, carry on.”

Fox moved quickly to the third level of the building, weaving his way through Senators and aides and other patrolling guards. Once he was on the third level and in the east wing, he studied every door and every plaque, looking for her name on of them.

He finally found her office. Standing outside the door, he raised his fist to knock, but he paused. He knew what he wanted to say, and he rehearsed it under his breath. He took a few deep breaths to steady himself and calm his nerves. Then … he knocked.

No response.

He waited a minute, then knocked again.

“Commander, do you need some assistance?”

Startled, Fox turned to see Senator Amidala approaching him. She held a datapad in her hands.

“Senator- I, uh, I’m looking for Senator Chuchi.”

“Senator Chuchi has taken a personal day, she won’t return until tomorrow,” answered Amidala, looking at his helmet-covered face with a narrow-eyed scrutiny. Her expression then softened.

Fox bit his lip. It wasn’t the end of the universe, he told himself. He would just have to wait another day or two. Or the next time he was off-duty. “I see, thank you ma’am.”

Instead of returning directly to the landing pad where he parked the speeder, Fox ventured out of the building into the courtyard between the executive office building and the main chamber. He wandered around, getting a better view of the gardens and statues in the light of the golden sunset. Off in the distance, he saw the ballroom, and his feet carried him in that direction until he happened across the fountain where he and Riyo sat together. He replayed memories of the ball in his mind, of a night he wish went on forever.

This spot really did have a nice view of the city skyline, he thought. The way the dying sunlight glimmered off the shining towering skyscrapers reminded him of gemstones – granted, the only time he had seen gemstones were in pictures on the Holonet and glimpses of jewelry he saw people wearing at the ball. Riyo probably didn’t think of gemstones when she looked at the skyline, he thought, but he didn’t have a guess about what she liked about it. He couldn’t wait to learn, to see it again through her eyes.

He smiled to himself. She was looking for him, and that knowledge brought him comfort. She would eventually find him, if he didn’t find her first at her office. Maybe Senator Amidala would pass along to her that he had come around, like Bly informed him of Riyo’s visit. No matter how things played out, he felt confident that he would see Riyo again, and he didn’t mind waiting, however long it took.


	7. The Search, Part 2

The following morning, Riyo sat through another meeting with her committee to finalize the revisions on the bill. As usual, very little of substance actually got done; Senator Stonk kept shooting down any suggestions that weren't to his taste, insisting that he would not vote on the bill unless it was in verbiage _he_ approved of, down to the punctuation. All the while Riyo started to wonder if she made the right decision going into politics, especially if most of her time was going to be spent stuck in meetings that could have been series of messages.

When the meeting was over she made her way out of the conference room, but she was barely two steps out the door when Padme gently took her by the arm and pulled her aside. Padme nestled herself and Riyo along the wall, and Padme waited for most of the Senators to clear away from the space before she started talking.

“I haven’t gotten the chance to tell you yet, but a Commander from the Coruscant Guard went by your office last night,” Padme said quietly.

“What for?” asked Riyo. A _Commander?_ Fox mentioned that he was a Commander. She considered some possibilities, and she hoped that the good Commander wasn’t there for a security check.

“I don’t know, he didn’t say, he just said he was looking for you.”

“Did you get his name?” Riyo asked. “Or what he wanted to talk to me about?”

“… No, I didn’t.”

Riyo let out an exhale. Part of her suspected it was Fox. She really wanted it to be Fox. She weighed whether to go straight to the Coruscant Guard or try the 501st again to see if Captain Rex was available and willing to chat.

“I would give them a call, it could be a security issue.” Padme suggested. She glanced over to the side, and Riyo followed her line of sight to see General Skywalker walking by. “Now if you’ll excuse me,” Padme said quickly as she rushed over to join Skywalker.

Those two were not subtle, Riyo thought. Not the ones to go to for advice on how to conduct secret romantic relationships.

Assuming, of course, she ever found herself in one.

Once she was back in her office, Riyo looked up the contact information for the Coruscant Guard and dialed them up on her holotransceiver. The holographic image of a protocol droid popped up.

_“Thank you for contacting the Coruscant Guard. Your call is very important to us. Unfortunately, all lines are busy right now. Please stay on hold for the next available representative. You are caller number eighteen. Estimated wait time is three standard hours.”_

Riyo sighed and ended the call. She decided to try again after lunch.

* * *

Down on Level 1313, Fox stood inside a Coruscant Guard station as he finished recording notes from the most recent inspection on his datapad. Once the notes were recorded, he double-checked the station’s duty roster to make sure it was up-to-date. He stood at the main desk as he worked, and nearby Thorn sat at a chair along the wall as he reviewed the inventory of weapons stored at that station. He could hear the noises coming from outside the station through the open door, of people talking and shouting and speeders zooming around and sirens blaring. Some might have found such noises distracting, but they helped him concentrate on his tasks.

His commlink beeped, and when he checked to see who was contacting him he quirked an eyebrow. Why was _Rex_ comming him?

_“Fox? Can you hear me?”_

“I hear you, Captain. What do you need?” Fox asked.

_“Thought you should know some woman stopped by our barracks last night. I was out, but one of my men, Dogma, spoke to her. I think she was looking for you.”_

“Was she Pantoran?” Fox asked. He really should have told Riyo he was Coruscant Guard ….

_“He didn’t specify … oh. OH. You were dancing with some Pantoran woman at the ball, right? Must be her!”_

“Yeah, Senator Chuchi. I’ve been trying to get a hold of her too, but we just keep missing each other.”

_“Senator Chuchi … I know her from a mission to Orto Plutonia! She knows General Skywalker and Commander Tano, and they all know Senator Amidala. Maybe we can help you connect with her?”_

“Oh- well, I-“ Fox sputtered. A small part of him was grateful that Rex offered his help, but he had some apprehension about involving more people in his personal life than necessary. Especially since there was a risk of breaking regulations. Not that it mattered to anyone in the 501st, they had a bad habit of skirting the rules as much as they could.

Before he could give a definitive answer, Thorn stood up and came to stand next to him, waving the datapad with the weapons inventory in his face.

“Commander, there’s some discrepancies here I think you should look into.”

“Rex, we’ll have to continue this conversation later I’m afraid. Duty calls.” Fox ended the call and took the datapad from Thorn, noting the figures and text that his brother pointed out.

“Why can’t you go look yourself?” Fox asked.

“I’ve been staring at blasters and rifles and spreadsheets about blasters and rifles for hours,” Thorn answered. “I think a fresh second pair of eyes could be beneficial.”

With a sigh, Fox responded “All right, I’ll look into this. Can you finish updating this roster?” He picked up the datapad he had been working on and handed it over to Thorn.

“You got it, boss!”

Fox then made his way to the station’s weapons storage. As he reviewed the inventory sheet and compared it to the weapons and supplies stored away, he wondered what kind of tedious Senator work Riyo had to put up with that day. He imagined her sitting in a meeting, or talking to one of her Pantoran constituents, or working on her bill. Whatever it was, it had to be better than inspecting station after station and counting droid poppers.

* * *

_“Thank you for contacting the Coruscant Guard. Your call is very important to us. Unfortunately, all lines are busy right now. Please stay on hold for the next available representative. You are caller number twenty-seven. Estimated wait time is five standard hours.”_

With a sigh, Riyo ended the call to the Coruscant Guard. She had tried on and off through the afternoon, but each time she had been given a ridiculously long wait time. On top of that, she had to respond to message after churlish message from Senator Stonk regarding the bill and how he was _still_ not happy with it. Realizing he would never be truly happy with it, she resorted to browsing the Holonet for the finest, most expensive bottle of Ithorian ale she could find, as … persuasion? Motivation? It didn’t matter to her, as long as it made him more agreeable.

She spared a thought for Fox. He was probably chasing criminals around the city, or on a patrol, or doing paperwork. Whatever he was up to, it had to be better than dealing with Stonk and the cold impersonal voice of a protocol droid.

Riyo let herself be distracted by her memories of the ball and dancing with Fox, and she didn’t snap out of it until her comm began to beep. She opened up the line, and the holographic image of a clone trooper popped up from her holotransceiver. His armor bore the colors of the Coruscant Guard, with intricately patterned wings painted on his helmet.

“Trooper, how may I help you?” she greeted him. She wanted to point-blank ask him about Fox, or if he _was_ Fox, but she remembered how Commander Bly reacted to being bluntly asked about him. “Is this about the Guard’s visit to my office last night?”

 _“Forgive me, Senator, but what visit? Command never authorized- wait … Fox. I’ll bet my speeder it was him.”_ The trooper cleared his throat.

“You know Fox?”

_“Yes, ma’am. Actually, that’s why I’m calling you. Word’s gotten around with us clones that you’ve been trying to get a hold of him, and he’s been trying to get a hold of you whenever he has a chance. I overheard him talking about you to the Captain of the 501 st, who heard from one of his men that you stopped by their barracks last night, and he offered to help. And, well, I thought why not just cut out the middle-man? Why bother going through the 501st if you don’t have to? … Anyway, all that to say: Fox and I will be heading back to our barracks in about an hour and a half. He’ll be working in his office from then until he falls asleep at his desk. Come by when you can.”_

Riyo raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Are you the one who encouraged him to go to the ball?”

_“I might be … he mentioned me?”_

“Perhaps,” said Riyo. “Honestly, though, you’re a true friend to Fox.” 

_“I do what I can,”_ said Thorn, sounding slightly flustered. _“He’s my brother, and I want him to be happy … and I know if he wound up owing someone at the 501 st a favor, he’d resent it for a long time.” _

“We can’t have that, can we?” Riyo said with a soft chuckle. “I will come to your barracks later this afternoon … and thank you. What’s your name, by the way?”

_“Thorn. Commander Thorn.”_

“Thank you, Commander Thorn.”

The call ended, and Riyo began mentally categorizing her remaining tasks for the day, determined to get them all finished in under two hours. Excitement and anticipation built up in her, and those feelings risked overwhelming her senses to the point of keeping her distracted from her work. Before she got too carried away with wondering whether she should run home and change clothes before heading to the barracks, she put in an order on the Holonet for the Ithorian ale.

* * *

The Coruscant Guard barracks were located near the military base. Riyo passed by the barracks where the 327th were quartered, spotting the troopers in their yellow-painted armor, and she thought about how she had just been there the other day … she had been _so close_ and didn’t know it. Then again, how many times did she pass by Fox during her time on Coruscant, either out in the city or in the halls of the Senate, unaware it was him? Such a wonderful man had been in her orbit the entire time, and she didn’t know.

Every building was the same in layout, from the hallways to the mess to the austere gray panels on the walls and the cold bright lights. Riyo took to her pattern of scanning every man’s face, looking for any sign of Fox, letting her gaze linger on each of them long enough for them to hopefully realize who it is. Each trooper passing by nodded and greeted her with a “Ma’am” yet eyed her with curiosity once her back was to them. Senators must not have come around often, she inferred.

One trooper eventually approached her, holding his helmet at his hip, and wearing a smug knowing look on his face. “Senator Chuchi, I presume?”

Riyo blinked at the trooper, then looked down at his helmet to see a familiar set of painted wings. “Commander Thorn, I presume?” she returned his greeting.

“The one and only,” Thorn smirked. “But enough about me. Your timing is perfect, Senator. Fox is in his office right now. Follow me.”

Riyo followed Thorn down a corridor past the mess hall and pair of troopers carrying buckets full of cleaning supplies. Once again she found herself mentally rehearsing what she would say to Fox, holding the pouch containing his button in her hand as if she relied on it for comfort and support. She soon found herself standing outside a closed door with a plaque that read “CC-1010 OFFICE” on the wall next to it.

Without waiting for her to say anything, Thorn knocked on the door three times in rapid succession. He then flashed her another knowing smile before going on his way. Riyo faced the door, feeling prepared ….

…. But once the door opened and she saw Fox’s face, she forgot everything she planned to say to him.


	8. A Wish Come True

Fox surveyed his desk, looking at the datapads scattered atop its surface or organized into haphazard stacks. He didn’t feel much of anything as he mentally catalogued every pad and their contents, deciding on what to prioritize and what to save for another day. Thinking of what all had to be done, he was a little grateful that Thorn was in such a rush for the two of them to get back to the barracks that afternoon. It meant he had more time to chip away at his work. Maybe Thorn had plans for the evening? He didn’t ask, and given that Thorn could go out and come back with new suits or speeders it was probably better that he didn’t know everything his brother got up to in his free time.

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt if he took the night off too, he thought. Maybe watch a holodrama, or get a decent night’s sleep for once. Most of his work that had a hard deadline had already been completed, and if the two troopers that had been caught with spice wanted a break from scrubbing toilets they could always do the mindless clerical work so he wouldn’t have to.

Almost as if it was on instinct, he reached for the holotransceiver next to his computer. He stopped suddenly, just as his hand hovered over the keypad. Subconsciously, he knew he needed to call someone. Maybe Rex, so they could finish the conversation they started earlier. Or … or he could just call _her_ directly. Like he should have done the second he knew she was looking for him.

Someone knocked on his door three times in rapid succession, and the sound of it rattled him out of his thoughts. Sighing, he pushed himself up and went to answer.

He expected a shy shiny who hadn’t been named yet. He didn’t expect to see Riyo.

Yet she was there on the other side of the door. Even though she wore a dress more appropriate for a Senate meeting than a ball, she was still every bit as beautiful as he remembered, even in the harsh cold lights of the barracks. She looked up at him, bright eyes searching his face, and after she looked over his mouth her expression softened into a relieved smile.

He had planned and rehearsed what to say to her when they met again. He knew the words. Seeing her smile made his mind go blank.

“Riyo ….” he breathed. His mouth curved into an awestruck smile.

“Hello Fox.”

A moment passed in silence, a moment he spent gazing into her eyes. Time seemed to stand still in that moment.

“Uh, erm, come in, please.” Fox said, breaking the silence. He stood to the side and gestured toward his desk. Riyo walked in, and he closed the door behind her. He watched her look around his office: at his helmet which sat on a shelf along the wall, the dirty stained caf mugs accumulating on his desk, the stacks of datapads, and the ration bar wrappers littering the floor around his chair. Embarrassment clawed at his insides.

“Is this a bad time?” Riyo asked cautiously.

“No, not at all, I was actually about to finish up for the day. I know it’s a mess ….” Fox’s voice drifted as his gaze went from his desk back to her face. “I’ve been busy, that’s why I haven’t –" He paused. “I’m sorry. For- for not getting in touch with you sooner and for … for leaving you alone at the ball.” The sentences he had formed in his head were much more intelligible than what just tumbled out of his mouth. She must have thought he sounded like a fool.

“Duty called, I’m sure,” Riyo responded, her tone gentle yet constricted. The sound of her voice made his chest clench.

“I didn’t mean to upset you, Riyo.”

“Fox, no! I’m not upset with you!” She offered him a small smile. “I’ve also been busy with my work, that’s why I took so long to find you.” 

“You’re … you’re not upset?”

“Not a bit.”

Hearing that calmed his nerves some, and some of the tension in his body melted away.

“Commander Thorn commed me and told me to come here to see you,” Riyo explained.

It suddenly made sense to him, Thorn’s sense of urgency through the afternoon. 

“So here I am, and I have two things to take care of. First,” Riyo opened the pouch in her hands and pulled out a gold button, displaying it in her palm. As she held her hand out further, Fox reached to grab the button, the tips of his gloved fingers brushing against her palm. He looked it over and recognized it as one of the buttons from the suit jacket he wore to the ball. He hadn’t even noticed it had fallen off.

“I thought you might want it back. If you like I can sew it back on for you?” Riyo offered.

“That’s very kind, but I can do it myself,” said Fox as he set the button down on his desk. It struck him as odd that Riyo would come all the way just to return a button. “And the second thing?” He had no idea what to expect next, and he could feel his pounding heartbeat reverberate through his entire body.

Riyo stepped closer to him, mere inches separating the two of them. “We have some unfinished business from the other night,” she stated matter-of-factly. A deep indigo blush rose on her cheeks.

Before Fox could ask her what business she referred to, Riyo hoisted herself up to her tiptoes so she could take his face in her hands. She then closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss.

As soon as Fox registered what was happening, Riyo pulled away and looked at him expectantly. He looked at her in shock and amazement, completely frozen in place as his mind tried to process it all. But the only thing he could think about was how she just _kissed_ him, and it was the best feeling in the world, and how he wanted her to do it again so he could kiss her back.

Once Fox remembered how to breathe, he let out an exhale and relaxed his shoulders. “An- anything else?” he asked breathily. In that moment he would singlehandedly hunt down and destroy General Grievous if she asked him to.

“Well … I would like to take you to dinner tonight, if you’re off-duty,” said Riyo as she took his hand in hers. “There’s this small restaurant about five klicks from the Jedi Temple, it’s cozy and it has private booths. I go there sometimes to get away from politics,” Riyo suggested.

“I’d love to,” Fox replied. He brought Riyo’s hand up to his mouth and kissed her knuckles.

“And then after tonight, I may ask you to come visit my office at the Senate on occasion. For security checks.”

Her tone was light, flirtatious. Fox immediately caught on to what she was implying with her words.

“Of course. I will be happy to ensure the security of your office,” he responded, trying to match her tone. His stomach fluttered at the thought.

“Next time I go home to Pantora, I’ll need to take a protective detail with me, and I’ll only accept the finest troopers the Coruscant Guard has to offer.”

“That sounds reasonable. I think I’m among the finest if I do say so myself.”

Riyo chuckled appreciatively.

“We could … we could also help each other with our paperwork. Get it done faster.” Fox suggested, wishing he had more to share with her than that.

“I like the sound of that. Good company would make it more enjoyable. Is it a date then?”

“Yes, it’s a date.” Fox smiled.

Riyo matched his smile with her own, and she drew closer for another kiss. She rose to her tiptoes and placed her hands on his shoulders, and in turn he bent forward to meet her halfway and rested his hands on her waist. Although he had dreamed of kissing her since the night of the ball, the real thing far surpassed his dreams. Her lips were impossibly soft, and they tasted sweet, like fruit and honey. Who knew exactly how long it lasted; he let himself get temporarily lost in the feeling of his lips on hers, hers on his, the faint scent of her perfume, her hands trailing up his shoulders to cradle the back of his neck. All he knew was that it wasn’t long enough for his liking.

“Do you need to finish any work before we go?” she asked after gently pulling away from the kiss.

“No, I’m ready if you are.”

Riyo took his hand and led him out of his office. Fox balked when he saw Thorn leaning against the wall by his office door. He hoped there wasn’t anything he needed to deal with … and if there was trouble, he would kill whoever was causing it.

“Well look what we have here!” Thorn proclaimed, his mouth forming a wide cocky grin.

“Were you lurking this entire time?” Fox hissed.

“Perhaps … did I overhear something about dinner?”

“You have _got_ to stop eavesdropping on my conversations.”

“Come on! If I minded my business you wouldn’t have a date with the good Senator tonight!”

Riyo chuckled. “He has a point, Fox.”

Fox sighed. “Eh you’re right … I owe a lot to your meddling, brother. But as punishment for your eavesdropping, you’re in charge until dawn.”

Thorn smirked. He stepped forward, clapped his hand on Fox’s shoulder, and then leaned in to whisper in his ear. “Just don’t blow it tonight.” He then pushed back and spoke again in his regular volume and tone.

“There’s a change of clothes for you in your quarters. I want it all back in one piece, no missing buttons this time. While you’re getting ready I can escort the Senator to the speeder, we’ll be around back, all right?”

Fox and Riyo gave each other a nod of affirmation. He then reluctantly pulled his hand from her grasp and ran to his quarters. On his bed he found a shirt, jacket, and pair of pants in a style similar to what he had seen civilian men wear on the streets. He had no idea if it was considered casual or formal or somewhere in between, or if it would be appropriate for the restaurant he was going to. All he knew was that it was better than wearing his armor or his blacks, and that if he was going to go on dates he needed to learn how civilian clothes worked. And get his own too, so he wouldn’t always have to borrow from Thorn.

He changed in a hurry, spritzed on some of the cologne he wore to the ball, and ran to the back exit of the barracks. Outside he found Thorn standing by his red speeder, leaning on the hood as he talked to Riyo, who sat in the passenger’s seat. Not another living soul could be seen, just the back wall of the adjacent barracks a few meters away from them. The afternoon sky darkened slightly, signifying that the sun was starting to set. As he drew closer to the speeder, both Riyo and Thorn paused their conversation to look up at him. He noticed how Riyo’s eyes scanned up and down his body, taking in the sight of him.

“He’s all yours, Senator. Don’t keep him out too late!” said Thorn as he pushed himself off the hood of the speeder. He gave Fox a pat on the shoulder and a smile; Fox returned the gesture before making his way over to the driver’s side and getting in.

Before he started up the speeder, he turned to face Riyo. “I- I hope what I’m wearing is all right,” he said nervously.

“It’s more than all right,” Riyo responded with a reassuring smile. “Red really is your color,” she added, gently tugging at the collar of his jacket.

“R-really?” Fox’s cheeks grew warm. She was probably flirting with him again, he thought. He needed to flirt back. What to say … what to say … he hoped flirting would come easier to him the more he tried it.

“Because I’m starting to think that blue is my favorite color.”

Once again, the words sounded better in his mind than they did coming out of his mouth. But they must have done the trick because the corner of Riyo’s mouth quirked up in a smirk. She leaned towards him to plant a kiss on his cheek.

“You can tell me more about it at the restaurant, I’m starting to get hungry,” she said as she leaned back into her seat.

“Oh, right! Yeah, yes, let’s go.”

As he started up the speeder, Fox wondered if he was experiencing a taste of what it was like to be a normal person living a normal life. Along with that came a prospect he found equal parts terrifying and exciting: that something real would bloom between him and Riyo, something that no amount of his training or cheesy holodramas could ever prepare him for, something that would be completely uncharted territory –

He was getting ahead of himself. First, he needed to make it through dinner. As he drove the speeder to their destination, he spared a glance over to Riyo, radiant in the golden sunset, locks of lilac hair blowing in the wind. Sometimes, she glanced back at him, and when their eyes met they exchanged smiles. He still had a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that of all the people in the galaxy she chose _him_. Especially since she was a Senator and he was a clone, facts that could complicate the possibility of anything real blooming between them in the future. That was a problem for the future, he resolutely decided. Instead, he was determined to enjoy another lovely night with her.

~ The End ~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> believe it or not it took me so long to post this chapter because I couldn't think of a title T.T
> 
> regardless, this is the final chapter! Thanks to everyone who read, left kudos, and left comments! Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings! The idea for this pic popped into my head a couple of weeks ago, and I couldn't get it out of my head. I wanted to write something fluffy and romantic, and in my opinion Riyo and Fox are a great pair to write fluffy and romantic fic for. And yes, Cinderella. The inspiration for this story is less Disney, more Rodgers and Hammerstein. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!


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